Buttermilk-roasted salmon with chive grits, succotash and chipotle butter from 21 Spoons (Photo courtesy 21 Spoons)
Situated between a dog groomers and a barbecue restaurant in a Midlothian strip mall at 13568 Waterford Place is 21 Spoons, an eatery aimed at bringing back the appeal of intimate dining.
Chef and owner Ann Butler was a home economics major, fashion industry employee, caterer and high school culinary arts instructor before she discovered her true calling.
“This restaurant kind of fell into my lap,” says Butler, who has over two decades of experience in the food and beverage industry. “I own the cooking school next door to it, and this space was empty for quite some time, and they were like, ‘Do you want it?’ ”
After working in Fairfax and Chesterfield public schools, Butler started her cooking school, Edible Education, 12 years ago, hoping to change the dietary habits of kids.
“I came across this study that said if you can get kids under age 12 into nutrition education, it’ll change the way they think about food,” she says, “so I decided to take this big leap and start this cooking school for kids.”
The onset of the pandemic halted Butler’s cooking classes, as students were unable to attend in person, but what could have been a time of great loss turned into a time of great opportunity.
“We didn’t have any kids” taking classes, she says. “I didn’t know how long it would be until we saw students again, so I was like, we got to do something.”
So, Butler opened 21 Spoons in March of 2021, focused on small plates and shared bites from ratatouille flatbread to deep-fried deviled eggs and charcuterie boards. Entrees range from buttermilk-roasted salmon with chive grits, succotash and chipotle butter to root beer-glazed pork loin with grilled watermelon, arugula and lime.
“I took it over at a time when everyone was closing their restaurants in Richmond,” Butler says. This allowed her to construct her new business in a way that made people feel more at ease and relaxed during such a stressful time.
Butler says the service and size of the restaurant — 24 seats — are what make people feel more comfortable and what allowed them to open during the pandemic.
“We know your name when you come in because we write little name cards and put them on the table,” Butler says. “We opened during a time when everyone was scared, so we wanted to build a space where you could come and relax, back to old-school, old-fashioned service.”
While opening during a global pandemic seems a hefty task in itself, establishing an elevated restaurant in an unlikely setting is another.
“We’re very much a city restaurant in the suburbs,” Butler says. “We’re in this strip mall, which has no artistic appeal at all.”
However, Butler, who is joined by Executive Chef Bill Erlenbach, says her partially gluten-free and vegetarian food has been the creative break that the Midlothian restaurant scene needed.
“The people that come in and get it,” Butler says, “they get it.”
The team at 21 Spoons sources its ingredients from local farms including Manakintowne Specialty Growers, Dandelion Springs Apiary, Fall Line Farms and Winster Farms, with herbs coming from an on-site garden. Butler also partners with Say Cheese ... Cake, the restaurant’s next-door neighbor Owl Spoon Water Kefir, Three Crosses Distillery, Olli Salumeria, Terra di Siena and Louisa’s Fifty-Third Winery and Vineyards.
The bistro is one of a kind, right down to its name. Butler says the architectural plat for the space was unit 20, giving her a spark of inspiration for naming the new venture.
“I saw somewhere that a chef has 39 spoons in their repertoire,” she says, “and it was unit 20, so I was like, ‘How about 21 Spoons?’ since we opened in 2021.”
While Butler says there will be no 22 Spoons, she describes 21 Spoons as a “creative gift,” allowing her to combine passions and build something beautiful for the community.
“You either love or don’t love the food business,” Butler says. “It’s a fun addiction; I love it.”
Happy hour at 21 Spoons is Thursday and Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., with dinner service available Thursday and Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.
